middle class is now "the richest 10%"? not sure they know what "middle" means
this post was submitted on 20 Nov 2023
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I can see how the richest 10% of the entire global population would include a fair chunk of the middle class in the richest nations. But the article specifies the richest 10% of many countries causing more emissions than the poorest 10% of their fellow citizens - and neither the richest nor poorest 10% of those countries are "middle class". They definitely do not know what "middle" means.
Edit: reading further into the article, they do actually specify that the middle class of many rich countries are in the top 10% globally - anyone earning over £32k/$40k are in the top 10% for the entire global population, despite these being very modest incomes in the UK and US respectively.
According to this tone deaf article, the middle class is still taking family vacations to Italy and Iceland, without sparing a thought for the carbon emissions of our flights.
Shame on us all for doing the things we’ve never done!
Look, another article blaming people's choices instead of corporate corruption controlling the lack of industry regulation. How original.
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This shift has enormous implications for how the climate crisis can be ended, researchers say, although international support for the poorest and least polluting nations remains vital.
“In the global north, when you don’t factor in emissions inequality, you can end up with ‘yellow vests’ protest situations,” Chancel said, referring to tax rises on diesel in France in 2018 that prompted mass demonstrations of the “gilets jaunes”.
Globally, the top 10% by income totals 770 million people, with almost two-thirds in high-income countries, according to a report from the Stockholm Environment Institute and Oxfam.
Ruth Townend, a research fellow at the Chatham House thinktank in the UK, said: “Without paying attention to inequality in policymaking, it will be impossible to have a just transition to a more sustainable society.”
“I think it is significant that such a small share of humanity will consume so much of the remaining carbon budget,” said Prof Stefan Gössling, of Linnaeus University in Sweden, who led the study.
An international taxation taskforce is due to launch at Cop28 to push for new climate levies and will consider taxes on wealth, fossil fuels, shipping, aviation and financial transactions.
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